Take My Heart With You
by ihaveabigstick
Summary: Draco is in jail for killing the love of his life. How did he end up here and how can he learn to live with what he's done?
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I haven't written in a while, so this may be a bit rough. It's a bit dark, but I hope you all enjoy it!

"State your name."

The voice rang out in the darkness, echoing against the stone walls. It cracked through the silence he had become so accustomed to while he had been in solitary confinement. It was so foreign to him that he barely heard it. It was just a bit of fuzz on the edge of his conscious. Moments later a bright light flooded his chamber – no, not a chamber – his prison, making him flinch and burry his face into his knees. The voice came again, sharper this time.

"State your name."

"Draco Malfoy," he finally yelled back. His voice cracked after months of not using it. What had been the last thing he had said out loud? It wasn't me? I could never – I could never kill –. No, that hadn't been it. Was it when he finally admitted that it was him? He had been the one to kill –. No, it could have been then either. How long had he been here? How long had he been living in this pit with only the soft drip of the faucet to keep him company?

"You have a visitor."

He looked up, shocked. Who would come to see him? Who could bare to look at his face after everything he had done? The light flared in his eyes, nearly blinding him, and he looked away. "I don't want to see anyone." There was a pause before he heard the familiar sounds of the metal staircase unfolding into his cell. He hadn't heard that sound in – how long had it been? – weeks? Months? Years? Footsteps followed, coming closer.

"Draco, my boy, let me help you up." Draco looked up, his vision still hazy after looking into the light, but he could have sworn he saw – no. It couldn't be.

He looked back at his feet again, "You shouldn't be here."

"I know," the calm voice said, "But we need to talk."

Draco looked up again, he could already feel the tears down his face. They joined the pattering rhythm of the sink as they hit the floor, "What could you want to talk to me about?" The man extended his hand, offering Draco a seat at the small, wobbly table. Draco hesitantly took the offered hand and stumbled to his feet. He slowly sat down into the chair, his back creaking after months of sleeping on the floor. "What do you want."

"I came to see how you're doing."

Draco's eyes locked on the older man's, "You shouldn't be here. If your family knew you were here they would -"

"They know I'm here."

Draco fell quiet again. Why was he here? This was the last person he ever expected to see. After everything that happened. After all the blood and destruction and death – especially after all the death they had both seen. "But – _why_ – are you here?"

"I told you, I came to see how you're –," Draco cut him off.

"No! You don't get to come see how I'm doing! Not after what I did!" He stood up and used his last ounce of strength to throw the table against the wall. It clattered to the floor. "Why are you here? And don't give me some fucked up answer about seeing how I'm doing because I don't deserve it! Alright?!" His chest rose and fell as he panted for air. He could hear his heartbeat in his ears as rage coursed through his veins. "I don't deserve it," he repeated quietly, "Not after – I killed –," he paused. "What do you want?"

"Draco," the man stood up and helped him sit down on the floor, "I came to see how you're doing. We can't bare the thought of you being in here."

"I deserve it."

"No, you don't."

"How can you say that?!" Draco cried, tears spilling down his face. "I killed her! I killed your daughter! I killed the woman – the woman –," he wiped his tears away roughly with the palm of his hand, "I killed the woman I loved."

"Draco," the other man's voice cracked as he also started to cry, "It wasn't your fault."

"Don't," Draco sobbed, "Please, don't. I just, I wish I was dead. I wish I would have died instead."

"Draco -,"

"No! Just leave me alone!" Draco screamed, "Leave me alone to live with the pain I caused."

The other man sighed and said softly, "I'll come back some other time." He started walking towards the staircase, but Draco grabbed his hand.

"Arthur," Draco said softly, looking up at the red head man, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"I know," Arthur Weasley said, wiping the tears from his eyes. He hesitated, but took something out of his pocket and leaned down and handed it to Draco. "Molly wanted you to have this."

Draco glanced at it, but looked away quickly, "I don't deserve this." He tried to hand it back to Arthur.

"No," Arthur pushed it back into Draco's hands, "Molly and I agreed that this is yours." Draco nodded and held it close to his chest. Arthur touched his shoulder gently, "And Draco, please, owl us if you need anything. You are punishing yourself too much."

Draco nodded again and watched as Arthur climbed back up the stairs and out of sight. The stairs folded back up and the darkness returned to his cell. He held the photograph out in front of his face. It was too dark to see, but he knew the photo so well, he didn't need to see it to know what it was. He cringed as he looked at it, imagining that summer. The summer he met her. The summer he fell in love with her. He sighed and leaned against the wall, staring at the photograph. He slowly closed his eyes, imagining her red hair bouncing as she threw her head back and laugh.

((((()()()))))

Ginny sat on his lap, running her fingers gently through the hair at the nape of his neck. She smiled down at him as the sun beat down on their heads.

"So what do you want for your birthday?" Draco asked her, twisting a strand of her hair between his fingers.

She shrugged her golden tanned shoulders and leaned back against his chest, "I want to stay here forever. Here. With you. In the sun." She sighed, "It seems like it's dark too often now a days. I just want to stay in the sun."

"I know," he kissed her forehead gently.

Ginny looked up at him and smiled, "I don't feel like I'm 22 yet."

"Really?" he asked, shocked. "Most of the time you seem older than you should have to be."

"I think we've all had to grow up too fast," she said quietly. "But I always thought that the war would be over by now. I just assumed that there was no way this war could last this long." She sighed, "Where do you think we'll be at the end of the war?"

"I don't know," he shrugged and ran his fingers through his hair. "I hope I'm still with you."

She grinned up at him, "Of course you'll still be with me. Where else would we be?"

He grinned back at her and kissed her deeply. She rotated in his lap so she could straddle him and she kissed him back, wrapping her arms around his neck. He lay back on the grass and her hair spilled off her shoulders around his face. She giggled as he kissed her neck and shoulders, nipping at her skin gently with his teeth. A moment later he rolled over so he was on top of her as he continued his work with his mouth down her collar bone towards her chest. She groaned and arched her back to push her body tightly against his.

She started to run her hands up his shirt when Molly's voice rang out, "Ginny! Draco! Lunch is ready!" Ginny sighed and dropped her hands off his body.

He looked up at her and kissed her gently, "We should head inside."

Ginny nodded and kissed him again before they got up. He slid his hand down her forearm and laced his fingers with hers. She smiled up at him and they made their way inside. To Ginny's surprise there was a large cake on the table with 'Happy Birthday, Ginny!' written across the top in frosting. Twenty two candles were lit, waiting to be blown out. "Mum, you didn't have to do this." Ginny hugged Molly and sat at the table next to her brothers. The house was full that day. The entire family was there including Ron's wife, Hermione and Fred's girlfriend, Luna. Tonks and Lupin were standing in the doorway grinning and Neville and Collin were in the back of the room, arguing about who got to eat first.

"It was Draco's idea, sweetie," Molly said, putting a hand on Draco's shoulder, "And it was a good one at that. We've all needed a little cheering up lately."

Ginny stood up and hugged Draco tightly before whispering, "Thank you," in his ear.

He grinned back at her and kissed her gently, "I love you."

"I love you, too." They both heard a snap and a flash as Collin took a picture of them gazing into each other's eyes. Ginny tossed her hair back and laughed; her red curls bouncing in the sunlight. Draco ran his hand down her back to her waist as he watched her blow out her candles and hug her family.

((((()()()))))

Draco sobbed, pulling his fingers through his matted hair. His cries echoed in his cell. He loved her with all his heart. He didn't think he was capable of loving anyone. His father had done his best to ensure that, but his mother – his mother did everything she could to save him, including giving up her own life to get him to the Burrow.

He hadn't wanted to go. He also didn't want to stay at Malfoy Mansion. He wanted to disappear and leave everything and everyone behind. He didn't want to fight in the war. But his mother – his stubborn mother – she sent him to the Weasleys.

((((()()()))))

Draco grumbled as he picked up his bag and followed his mother out of the house. She hurried him along, rushing him down the path to a carriage just out of view from Malfoy Mansion. "Draco, my darling," she cupped his face in her hands as he got into the carriage. She glanced over her shoulder hesitantly, "Now, I know you don't want to go, but you need to. It's no longer safe here. I can't do anything to protect you anymore."

"I know, Mum," Draco said softly.

They both heard a bang from over the hill, "Go. Go!" Narcissa yelled at the coach driver. "You know where to take him. Draco, I love you!"

Draco glanced out the window as the coach took off. A group of dark hooded men swarmed over the hill towards the carriage. His mother – his tiny, frail mother – stepped between the hoard of men and the carriage and pulled out her wand. He watched in horror as she fought and fell. Screaming, he tried to open the door to save her, to go fight with her, but the door was locked and sealed so he couldn't come back for her. The green light flashed through the valley and Narcissa fell. Tears spilled down his cheeks and he slumped back against the seat.

He was all alone now. She was the only one who still cared if he lived or died. He didn't move until the carriage stopped. When the door clicked open he looked up and was met with warm brown eyes. Her hair whipped in the wind and she held out her hand.

"C'mon, Malfoy, we don't have time to dillydally," her voice was low, raspy. Little did he know he would learn to hear that voice moan his name. "Malfoy!" He still didn't respond. She touched his cheek gently, "Draco, please. Lets go."

"But – my mum," he stuttered. He could feel the tears drip down his cheeks, off his chin and down his chest.

"I know," she took his hand in hers and slowly pulled him towards her, "I know, but her sacrifice will be in vain if you don't come with me now. Quickly." He looked up at her, searching her eyes for any sign of hope. Instead, he saw tears trailing down her cheeks. He furrowed his brow and looked away from her, but let her pull him out of the carriage. She led him down the dirt road to a tiny shed. They were in the middle of nowhere. "Draco," she cupped her cheeks in her hands and made him look up at her, "We're going to take an illegal portkey to the Burrow. It's stable, but I need you to hold on tightly. Ok? Please, do it for me."

He nodded and she handed him an old broom. He held on tightly to the broom with one hand and he gripped her hand tightly with the other. He felt the familiar tug behind his bellybutton and within seconds he felt himself land softly on grass. "Draco, you can open your eyes." He did, slowly, and he was amazed at the bright sunlight overhead. It seemed like ages since he had seen the sun. She started to get up and head towards the house, "We need to get up to the house, it's safer up there. I can show you to your –,"

He cut her off, "Weasley –," He grabbed her arm and pulled her back.

It was her turn to cut him off, "My name is Ginny."

Draco paused, thinking before saying slowly, "Ginny," he liked how it felt on his lips, "Why am I here?" Tears started to form in his eyes again, "And my mum –,"

"Draco," she took both of his hands in hers, "You're here because it's safe here. Your mum knew that. Come on, I'll get you settled and then we'll have dinner. I'm sure Mum has something on the stove for us. It looks like you haven't had a good meal in months."

((((()()()))))

Draco jerked awake, breathing heavily. He wrung his hands, feeling his whole body shake. How did he not realize from the beginning? How did he not know the moment he saw her? He had been such an idiot, taking forever to let him in. He pounded his fists into the wall until they bled and dripped down his forearms.

She was gone. The woman he loved was dead and gone. He would never again hold her or hear her laugh. She was gone.

And he had killed her.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

Draco groaned as he rolled over on the floor. He felt every muscle in his body tense in protest. His right wrist, which was bent strangely to the left after an unmended break years earlier, was pinned under his body, but he didn't care. He took in a pained breath; he could feel his whole body shake. Slowly, he let himself drift off to sleep.

((((()()()))))

Draco's first week at the Burrow was an adjustment. He had never had siblings and he was slowly becoming more and more grateful for that. The only thing he looked forward to was his time with Ginny. He didn't understand why he enjoyed her company so much, but he also didn't give himself time to dwell on it.

Early one Sunday morning, shortly after he arrived, he came downstairs expecting to find the living room empty. It was the only time of the day that he could be alone. He enjoyed his time alone. It was his time to think about all the changes in his life. This morning, however, he wasn't alone when he got downstairs. He kept his eye on Ginny as he made a cup of coffee and then he quietly slid open the glass door and joined her on the porch. She was draped casually on the porch swing, her legs stretched out in front of her. She had a pair of sweatpants on and a tank top. Her hair was pulled up in a messy bun and she smiled at him as she pushed her glasses up on her nose.

"Morning," she said softly. She pulled her knees up to her chest so he could sit down by her feet. "Did you get some sleep?"

He shrugged, "A bit."

"Still having a hard time sleeping?"

"Yeah," he took a sip of his coffee, "I don't see it getting any better in the future. As soon as I close my eyes I see –," he trailed off and shook his head, "I just see terrible things."

She touched his leg gently, "It's ok. I understand."

He eyed her hand. He wasn't expecting her to touch him and the second they had made contact his whole body caught fire. He cleared his throat, "What are you doing up so early?"

"I never went to sleep." He looked at her puzzled and she laughed. "Hermione got in late last night and she's sharing my room with me. I forgot how badly she snores."

Draco laughed, "I guess I'm lucky to have my own room."

"You also have the best view in the house," she teased. He was staying in the attic. Molly was terribly embarrassed about it. It seemed terrible to her that he, a Malfoy, had to stay in a room filled with old boxes and dust. He actually really enjoyed the small space. He had his own bed and a small nightstand where he could keep the picture of his mum. He could see the entire Weasley property, down to the river, from his windows. He smiled at her softly and looked away. She leaned back up and sighed, "It's beautiful out this morning."

"It is," he agreed. He relaxed back into the swing, taking another sip of his coffee. They sat in silence for a long time. He lost track of time. He just enjoyed swinging gently with her, taking in her scent. She smiled like pineapple and vanilla and she drew small circles against his thigh with her feet.

After what seemed like hours of silence, he asked, "Tell me something about yourself."

She looked up at him, confused, "Like what?"

"Tell me something about yourself that nobody else knows."

"Well," she thought for a second, "I still sleep with a teddy bear."

"Really?" he asked, smiling.

She grinned back at him and leaned forward, "Also, I've wanted to kiss you since the day you got here." He stared back at her, shocked. He tried to open his mouth to say something, but nothing would come out. Suddenly they heard movement in the kitchen and Ginny looked up, "Looks like Mum is up. I'd better help get breakfast ready."

He watched her get up and walk inside. His jaw still working to try to form words. A moment later Molly poked her head outside and said, "Draco, darling, would you like more coffee? I just put another pot on."

"Yes, please, yes," he stuttered. He stood up to walk inside, his heartbeat pounding in his ears.

((((()()()))))

A cold breeze swept through the cell, making Draco shiver. He wrapped himself tighter in the small blanket he was allowed to have. Moments later he heard the small metal staircase descend. He slowly sat up and looked around. To his surprise, he had another visitor. Another _two_ visitors. Molly Weasley, feisty, tiny Molly Weasley stood at the bottom of the stairs with her son George standing behind her with his hands on her shoulders.

"Molly?" Draco croaked. He cleared his throat, "What are you doing here?"

"Arthur mentioned you weren't doing so well, so I thought I'd come see you," Molly said quietly. "Ron pulled some strings at the Ministry and loosened your security so we could come see you."

"Why do you want to see me," Draco said, turning into the wall, "You, of all people, should hate me. You should wish me dead."

"Oh, Draco," she put her hands to her heart, "I could never hate you. You know this wasn't your fault. It was an accident. It's not your fault things didn't go according to plan."

"Then why am I here?" he asked softly. Tears started spilling down his cheeks. She knelt down to touch him, but he flinched away from her, "Don't touch me." She backed away slowly, standing next to George. "I killed her Molly, you know that. Her death was my fault. I deserve to be here."

"Oh, Draco," Molly said quietly. He could hear her start to cry. A few moments later she said, "We'll leave you alone, but please, talk us if you need anything. We're willing to fight for you."

Draco didn't say anything as they ascended the stairs and the door shut again. He curled up into a ball and let the tears fall down his cheeks again. Why did they start coming to visit him? Did they not understand? Ginny Weasley was dead and her blood was on his hands.

((((()()()))))

Draco let the hot water drip down his body as the steam filled the small bathroom. He loved the shower at the Burrow. It was so small and the water got so hot. He sighed and ducked his head under the flow of water. It plastered his hair to his face and neck. When he got out, he toweled his hair and wrapped it around his waist before heading back up the stairs to his small attic room. To his surprise, Ginny was sitting on his bed reading a book, twisting her hair around one finger.

He cleared his throat to get her attention and she looked up surprised, "Draco, hi."

"What are you doing in here?" he asked, riffling through his drawers to find clothes.

"Mum asked me to come get you for our meeting," Ginny said, eyeing his half naked body.

"Oh, is it three already?" he pulled a pair of jeans out and a black t shirt. The two of them had become good friends in the previous months. The two frequently spent afternoons together reading on the porch or early mornings discussing philosophy and religion. For the first time in his life he felt like he had a true friend.

"No, but she wants us to help put together some lunch for everybody."

"Alright. Can you turn around?" She did as she was told and turned to face the wall. He talked while he pulled his pants on, "Do you know who all is coming to the meeting today?"

"Probably just the usual," he heard her flipping through the pages of a book. He turned around and watched her as she looked intently at one of the pages. She was one of the most beautiful women he had ever met in his life. She was short, but curvacious and her red hair fell down her back in beautiful waves. She had a habit of biting her lip when she was thinking and he found it downright sexy. She didn't wear much makeup that he could notice and the majority of the time her hair was pulled back, but he wouldn't want her any other way.

She looked up at him and noticed he still wasn't wearing a shirt, "Oh – sorry – I didn't mean to look – sorry," she muttered.

"It's alright," he said quietly. They stared at each other for a few minutes before he cleared his throat, "Should we head downstairs?"

"Sure," she got off the bed and followed him out the door. When they got to the kitchen, Molly was hustling about, pulling things out of cabinets and out of the fridge. "What can we do, Mum?" Molly handed Ginny a bag of apples and a knife. Ginny started cutting them up while Draco put together sandwiches and cut them in half for everyone. Molly hurried out of the kitchen to set up the living room. "You would think we never have these meetings," Ginny joked, "She gets so worked up every time."

"I know," Draco chuckled, "Every time we have a meeting she checks to see if my bed is made. Like someone is going to go up to the attic for something."

Ginny laughed. The two cut in silence for a few minutes until Molly rushed back in, saying, "Lupin just got here, Gin, he wants to speak with you." Ginny set her knife down, puzzled. She glanced at Draco, who smiled at her encouragingly and she turned and walked into the living room.

"Ah, Ginny," Lupin stood up and shook her hand, formally, "How are you doing?" She nodded, still confused. Why would he want to speak to her? "Right. You're probably a bit confused, I imagine. Lets talk outside."

Five hours later Draco was putting the last dish away. He draped his damp towel over the edge of the sink and touched Mrs. Weasley's shoulder gently. The older witch turned to look at him. There were tears in her eyes, but she wiped them away hastily and forced a smile on her lips, "Draco, yes, thank you for helping clean up. Those meetings always get a bit heated when they last longer than an hour or two. I'm surprised I didn't have to clean hummus off the ceiling again."

Draco chuckled, "Have you seen Ginny? She seemed so quiet at the meeting and then she just disappeared."

"The last I saw, she was heading upstairs," Molly said quietly, "Maybe she decided to head in early?" Draco noticed the tears that welled up in her eyes again.

"Whats going on? Is she ok?" he asked, nervous for her response.

"Yes, she's fine," Mrs. Weasley said quickly, "You'll have to go find her and talk to her."

Draco nodded, solemnly and gave her a quick hug before heading up the stairs. He stopped first in her room to see if she was there, but it was empty. He glanced out her window to see if he could see her in the sunset kissed yard, but the yard was empty. Sighing, he turned and headed up another flight of stairs before poking his head in Hermione's room to see if she was there, but the room was empty. Hermione was probably back in Ron's bed for the night. Giving up, he took the last flight of stairs and opened the door to his small, attic room. To his surprise, Ginny was curled up in his bed, wrapped in one of his blankets.

"Gin," he sat next to her, carefully, not wanting to wake her if she was actually asleep.

She sat up quickly, "Draco, sorry. I didn't mean to stay in here so long, but once I got here I just – I couldn't leave."

"It's ok," he gently tucked some of her hair out of her face, "Whats going on? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, I'm just terrified," she paused and took a deep breath, "Lupin and Kingsley have asked me to go away for a while. I don't know where or for how long, but they say that they could use my help in the war."

"What? No!" Draco exclaimed. He didn't understand why he was so angry, but he was. "They can't take you away. How can I – I mean – we," he paused and sighed. "I just found you. How am I supposed to let you go?"

She smiled up at him sadly, tears welling in her eyes, "I'll only be gone a few months and then I'll be back." She softly stroked his cheek with her thumb, "I promise. I'm coming back." He covered her small hand with his, leaning into her touch. She opened her mouth again slowly and asked, near whisper, "Can I spend the night with you up here? I just – I don't want to leave without – without," she stopped, unable to finish her sentence.

"Of course." Before he knew what he was doing, he cupped her cheeks in his large hands and smiled down at her. Slowly, he brought his lips down to hers. He felt her relax into him as soon as their lips met and the tension that had been surrounding them for weeks was lifted. God, why hadn't he kissed her sooner? She nipped at his bottom lip and he deepened the kiss before pressing her down to the bed so he could cover her body with his.

He hands made easy work of the buttons on the front of his shirt and, before he knew it, she slid her hands up his bare chest and around his back. She moaned as he kissed down her jaw to her neck before sliding his hands up her shirt. She arched her back into his touch. Her skin was smooth against his calloused palms. After a minute he pulled away slightly and said, "Gin, are you sure you want to do this?"

She smiled up at him and said, "I do, more than anything in the world. I want to be with you tonight." Draco grinned back at her and pulled her in for another kiss.

Three in the morning found them wrapped in each other's arms, legs intertwined. He stroked her bare back gently, listening to her soft breathing. She shifted in his arms and wrapped her arm tightly around his waist. God, even just her hand on his lower back – that small, nimble hand – made his body go haywire. He took a few deep breaths to calm himself down, but he could still feel his heart beat against his chest. The starlight illuminated her gorgeous auburn hair against his shoulder and he sighed, sleep pulling at his eyelids.

Early the next morning, Mrs. Weasley woke Draco with a start. He immediately panicked, not expecting to be caught in bed with Ginny, but Molly smiled down at him gently. "I put some coffee on. She needs to be ready to leave in about half an hour."

Draco nodded and Mrs. Weasley left. He gently shifted so he could look down at Ginny. She slowly opened her eyes and smiled up at him sleepily. "What time is it?"

He glanced at his small bedside clock, "About 6:30. Your mum says you have to leave soon."

She sighed and sat up, "I should probably get ready. Are you going to see me off?"

"Of course," he smiled. She leaned in and kissed him lightly before pulling her clothes on and scampering out of the room. He lay back, dreading the thought of saying goodbye to her, but after a few minutes, pulled himself out of bed and pulled on a pair of jeans and an old Quidditch t shirt.

When he got to the kitchen, Molly greeted him with a cup of coffee. He took it gratefully and sat down on one of the stools by the counter, leaning against his elbows. A short time later, Ginny came into the kitchen, a small backpack slung over her shoulder. She too had pulled on a pair of jeans and an old t shirt. Her hair was tied back in a long braid with a few whisps hanging delicately in her face.

Molly also handed Ginny a cup of coffee and started putting together a small lunch for Lupin and Kingsley. Ginny set her backpack down and curled into Draco's embrace, sipping her coffee. Molly turned to look at them and caught sight of them together. Tears formed in her eyes and she smiled, "I should have known." Draco kissed Ginny's cheek gently and smiled back at Mrs. Weasley who came over and hugged them tightly.

"Mum, your squashing me," Ginny said after a minute. They all laughed softly and sipped their coffee. Shortly after they heard a 'pop' in the garden and Kingsley and Lupin entered the kitchen. Ginny abruptly turned to Draco and rested her forehead against his. "I'm not ready to go," she whispered.

Draco tilted her chin up and smiled at her, "You're going to do great." He kissed her forehead, "You'll come visit when you can and if you can't, write to me."

She nodded, "And if I can't visit, I will do my best to be home by your birthday." He was going to be twenty three in five months. He nodded back and she pulled him in for a deep kiss. He couldn't watch as she made her way to the garden with Lupin, but before he knew it, she was gone with a soft 'pop'.

((((()()()))))

Draco sat up abruptly, feeling his way along the wall as he pulled himself up. He stumbled across his cell and pulled a small box out from under the sink. He threw it on the table and sat down before opening the lid. Taking out the picture Arthur had given him weeks earlier, he studied it closely, taking note of every one of Ginny's features. How could a woman like her fall in love with him? They were so different.

She was full of beauty and grace. Her love for the world radiated from her. There were times he got jealous of the other men around her simply because they got to see part of her wonder that brought his life meaning. Yet, he held a part of her no one else could ever take away. She was his: in every form of the word. He knew everything about her heart, her mind and her body. He knew what buttons to push to make her happy and where to touch to make her knees go weak.

He, on the other hand, would struggle to let go of his hate and anger with the world. The news had officially come out about his mother's death and, even though the Weasley's had a memorial service for her, he still didn't feel like he had said a proper goodbye.

Sitting at the small table in his cell, he sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. What had she seen in him? He was bitter and depressed when he arrived at the Burrow and everything was perfect until that day – that terrible – no. He slammed his fist on the table. He wasn't ready to think about that.

Later that night, Draco curled up in a ball against the wall. He coughed and shuddered. His whole body trembled and he felt himself fall against the wall again. These episodes would hit him occasionally. He lost control of his body as his muscles seized. A bright light entered his vision and he squeezed his eyes shut, willing the light to go away.

A voice rang out, "You have a visitor."

Draco cried out for no one to see him. He couldn't have a visitor again, not after the torture of the Weasleys. Hands gripped the collar of his tattered shirt and pulled him up against the wall roughly. He hadn't even heard the stairs descend.

Sobbing, his body still flailed underneath him, but he looked up into the ice cold eyes that held him against the wall. "Leave me be, please!" he sobbed. Pain hit him from all directions and he screamed out for mercy, but it didn't come.

When he awoke, hours later, his body still trembled from the torture it had endured. He rolled over onto his back and his eyes snapped open. That voice. He heard it, clearly this time. That steely voice echoed in his head, taunting him. Torturing him.

"She's alive."


	3. Chapter 3

Arthur Weasley was shocked to receive a letter requesting his presence in Azkaban. Molly was equally as surprised, having not had any luck with Draco during her visit either. It was that tattered piece of paper that brought them to the door to Draco's cell late one Thursday afternoon. He was kept in solitary confinement which took them on a long journey of twisted hallways to get to. It wasn't that he was a troublesome inmate. He requested to be there and, due to how full the rest of the prison was, he was granted his request.

As the Weasleys walked down the stone hallway towards Draco's cell, Arthur held the note tightly in his hand. He didn't understand what it meant. It had come early that day to their dining room table. It took Molly hours to calm down after the over large jet black bird had come crashing in her window. The note was short and to the point.

_Arthur, I have news. Please come._

That was all it said. Arthur was lucky that he could make out the roughly scrawled '_DM_' at the bottom of the note or they wouldn't have known who it was from. The hallway smelled musty and moldy. It was eerily reminiscent of the dungeons at Hogwarts. He smiled softly, remembering the last time he was there.

((((()()()))))

Arthur whipped out his wand as he turned around the corner. Empty. The cell was empty. "Dammit!" He yelled, slamming his fist into the wall. All of their work, the months of planning and strategizing on how to get Charlie out and they had already moved him. Recently from the looks of it; there was still a small plate of food on the floor. Arthur kicked it angrily and it smashed against the wall.

"Arthur," Draco put a hand on his shoulder, "That's not going to do us any good. Lets spread out and see if we can find anything." Arthur nodded and Draco barked orders at the people standing, petrified by Arthur's outburst. Draco pulled Arthur to one side and said, "Don't worry, we're going to find him. It's only a matter of time before they get sloppy when they're moving him. We'll get him back."

Arthur nodded begrudgingly and leaned against the wall to take a swig of his water, "I just want my family back together again."

"I know," Draco clapped his shoulder gently, "And they will be." Suddenly, he got quiet, twisting his hands nervously, "Arthur I –," he paused, "I've been meaning to talk to you about Ginny –," he trailed off.

"Yeah?" Arthur asked, "You two seem to be getting pretty serious. At least, thats what Molly told me."

"We are," Draco admitted. He took a deep breath, "Arthur, I want to marry her."

"Are you asking me for my blessing?"

"I guess," Draco muttered. "I know if I asked Ginny right now she wouldn't care if you said yes or no, but I do."

Arthur sighed and stood up, "Draco, you're a good man. I would be honored to have you as my son-in-law." He shook Draco's hand forcefully, "I'm glad you two have managed to make it work in times like this. It's been a rough few years."

"That is has," Draco agreed. A voice called to them from down a tunnel and the two men ran to see what had been found.

((((()()()))))

The clang of a gate startled Arthur out of his memory and he gripped Molly's hand tightly as the door to Draco's cell swung open. Draco lived in a pit. It was at least fifty feet deep and only ten or fifteen feet wide. A long metal staircase swung down and they heard it bang as it collided with the floor. They descended slowly, not wanting to slip on the metal stairs, and Arthur breathed a sigh of relief when they reached the bottom and they found Draco already seated at the small table.

"I'm always afraid that staircase is going to hit you on it's way down," Arthur admitted as he sat across from Draco. Molly sat next to him nervously.

"I can hear it coming," Draco said harshly. His voice cracked and broke, not from tears, but from years of misuse. How many years had Draco spent yelling and screaming for forgiveness Arthur wondered.

"I brought you some food," Molly said, setting a small container on the table. "It's just some leftover lasagna, but I thought you could use a good home cooked meal."

Draco eyed it cautiously for a minute before saying, "Thank you," and sliding it across the table. Arthur could see how skinny he had become. Draco was practically skin and bones and his long hair was pulled back in a rough pony tail.

"You said you have news?" Arthur asked cautiously. Yes, he was nervous. He didn't know what Draco was going to tell them and after he had been down here for years who knew if he was actually sane anymore.

Draco cleared his throat, "I had a visitor a few nights ago."

"Really?" Arthur asked, shocked. He had looked at Draco's visitor sheet when they were signing in and the last person to sign in had been Molly during her previous visit. "Who?"

"I –," Draco's voice cracked, "I don't know. They've visited me before and every time it gets more –," he paused, "Painful."

Molly patted Draco's hand comfortingly, "I'm so sorry, dear."

"What did this visitor tell you?" Arthur asked.

"She's alive."

They sat in silence for a second before Arthur cleared his throat and said, "Who?"

"Who do you think?" Draco snapped. He sighed, "Why else would they tell me that? It has to be her. It has to be."

"But Draco, nobody else survived," Arthur said quietly, "You were the lucky one they found. The _only_ one they found. Thats why you're in here. If you would only tell them what happened they would know you aren't guilty. They would let you out. You could be free from –."

Draco cut him off, "But I am guilty Arthur." His voice was cold and empty. "They all died because of me. It was my fault. I should be here. I had them all murdered."

"Draco, no you didn't!" Molly pleaded, "You did what you had to do!"

"No!" he barked at her. He stood up quickly, shocking Arthur. A week ago Draco had to drag himself off the floor, but now, here he stood. Upright and strong. "She could be alive. You need to find her."

"Of course," Arthur said, sighing. Whether Ginny was alive or not, Draco sure believed she was. "We'll do everything we can to find some information." Draco started to move away from them, but Arthur continued, "But we'll only do it if you see a lawyer." Draco's eyes snapped to Arthur's face, full of rage. Arthur continued quickly, "Draco, you are punishing yourself. Nothing else is keeping you in here and I won't stand to see you put yourself through this torture anymore. I'll look into it. I will work as hard as I can to find her, but only if you see a lawyer and start the process of clearing your name."

Draco sighed, begrudgingly, "Fine. You send one and I'll meet with him."

"Thank you," Arthur rose and Molly followed suit, "I'll come back to see you as soon as I can."

Draco nodded and Molly patted his hand gently. They ascended the stairs and soon after Draco was plunged into darkness. He sighed and put his forehead down against the cold metal of the table. Could she really be alive?

((((()()()))))

"Good morning!" Molly said cheerfully as she made her way into the kitchen. Draco grunted at her and took another sip of his coffee before staring back down at his morning newspaper. "I would have thought you'd be more chipper today," Molly said, shuffling through the fridge, "Ginny's coming home this afternoon."

Draco sighed and sat his cup down, "Mrs. Weasley –,"

She cut him off, "I swear, if you call me that one more time I'm going to smack you over the head with that newspaper like you're a dog. Call me Molly."

He chuckled, "Molly, when you and Arthur were dating, did you go through times like this?"

"Time apart?" she asked. He nodded and she sighed, thinking. "Yes, and no. You see, Arthur and I started dating in a calmer time than now. We weren't at war. We weren't all constantly going into battle. It was a different time. Yes, we spent time apart, but it was easier for us to write and floo each other. Not like you and Gin." Molly paused. "Have you heard from her lately?"

Draco nodded, "I got a letter about a week ago, but she's really vague about what she's doing."

"I know, darling," Molly touched his hand gently, "Why don't you go get ready for this afternoon? Take a long shower, get some rest. We've all been going strong lately," she paused and said jokingly, "Not to mention I'm sure Ginny will be up all night talking your ear off."

Draco gave her a knowing look and slowly walked up stairs before pulling off his shirt and falling into bed. He never seemed to get enough sleep anymore. The one night he had slept well was the night he had spent with Ginny. Then she left and he was constantly up worrying about her; wondering if he'd ever see her alive again. He had spent his last few months at the Burrow doing a lot of paperwork and organizing. He made the mistake of telling Molly that he was used to working in an office because of his family's business and she quickly put him to work organizing the Order's small office in downtown London. It was easy work, the difficulty came in finding the office which moved every time the door was shut. Luckily he had a tracker, but it still put him in some awkward situations.

What seemed like only a few minutes passed, but before he knew it his alarm clock was buzzing at him to get up and get in the shower so he would be ready by time Ginny got there. He pulled himself out of bed and grabbed his towel. Making his way down the flight of stairs to the bathroom, he passed Ron's room and peeked his head in. Mrs. Weasley was dusting off the bookshelf and nagging Ron to get the hide-a-bed set up for Harry when he got there with the rest of the order that afternoon.

Draco snuck away to the bathroom before Mrs. Weasley gave him a chore and he quietly shut the door behind himself. Sighing, he eyed the bruises down his back where Luna had been practicing her self defense two days earlier. He had tried to tell her that hand to hand combat probably wouldn't do her much good when the dark side favored their use of wands, but she insisted on practicing and, much to his dismay, she got in a few good punches; bruising his ribs. He stripped his pants off and turned the water on so the bathroom started filling with steam. Stepping under the water made his body groan and slowly relax. He couldn't believe he was holding in so much tension now. His shoulders were full of knots and stress.

Suddenly hands slid around his waist and up his chest, startling him and making him jump. He whipped around, expecting to need his wand in defense, but instead came face to face with Ginny. She stood, grinning up at him, completely naked. "Gods, you scared me," he said quietly.

"I can tell," she teased, running her hands up and down his chest.

"What are you doing here? Did you guys come early?"

"I couldn't wait," she said, mischievously, "Now, if you don't touch me soon, I'm going to explode."

He grinned and leaned down to kiss her deeply, pulling her body flesh with his. She tangled her fingers in his hair, sending shivers up and down his spine. He groaned as she slid one of her legs up his and wrapped it around his waist, pulling him even tighter against her. He pulled out of the kiss and brushed her now wet hair out of her face, "I missed you."

((((()()()))))

Three days later, a stuffy lawyer came to speak with Draco. Much to his surprise, Ron Weasley accompanied the lawyer and brought Draco a container of casserole from Molly. The lawyer, Anthony Pickett, was a short, balding man, but, according to Ron, he was one of the best. "Not to mention," Mr. Pickett said softly, "if what Arthur tells me is true, you're not going to need much of a defense to get yourself out of here."

"I deserve to be in here," Draco said coldly.

"My mum said you'd say something like that," Ron said, rolling his eyes, "You've always been a bit of a drama queen, Malfoy."

"Shut your face, Weasel," Draco snapped back.

Ron grinned and said, "Now there's the Draco we all know and love."

Draco forced a smile on his face and turned back to the lawyer, "Now what do you need from me?"

"Just a statement," Mr. Pickett said.

"Thats it?"

"If your story lines up with Arthur's, we're not going to need more to get you out of here," the man said again. "The way Arthur explained it, you didn't do anything wrong. I'm not sure why you didn't ask for legal counsel earlier."

"Because I deserve to be in here," Draco repeated forcefully.

There was an awkward pause in the room. Mr. Pickett cleared his throat and said, "Alrighty then, tell me how this all started."

Later that evening, Draco lay flat on his back on the floor in the middle of his cell, looking up at the door fifty feet above him. Could he really do it? Could he really live a normal life after all of this? After he lost the only thing that gave him a reason to live? He sighed and rolled over. Mr. Pickett had taken his statement and gone on his way, saying the only other thing Draco might need to do to get himself free was take a shower and put on a suit to show up in court in a few weeks. He didn't want to go to court. If he was released he would do the same thing he was doing here. He would go back to the abandoned Malfoy Mansion and lock himself in. Abandon the world around him.

He had learned years earlier that he had inherited all the Malfoy estates after the war. No one knew where his father had disappeared to and, since his mother had died, he was the only one left. He hadn't touched the fortune even though he still had access to it. He could have hired himself the best lawyer he could find, but he didn't. He couldn't. How could he justify freeing himself after what he'd done?

((((()()()))))

The stars twinkled above them as Ginny curled tight against his side, burying her head into his shoulder and sighing. He wrapped his arm tighter around her and twisted a strand of her hair between his fingers. The Weasley's yard was surprisingly comfortable. Many nights before Ginny had left they had laid on the grass and watched the stars, but this was different. For the first time he could pull her into his arms and not worry about the world around them.

Sighing Ginny said, "You've changed since I left."

"Really?" he asked, looking down at the top of her head, puzzled. "How so?"

"You call my mum Molly now," she paused, "It's odd."

He chuckled, "Well, thats her name."

"No, her name is Mum."

"Well, she threatened to hit me with a newspaper if I didn't call her Molly, and I like to avoid getting hit with things."

Ginny smiled and glanced up at him, "Do you think I've changed at all?"

Draco thought about it for a minute. "Your hair is longer."

She rolled over onto her stomach, "Thats not what I meant and you know it."

He grinned at her and said, "I know," but didn't elaborate.

She turned back over and nestled into his shoulder again. He sighed and breathed in her familiar scent. She truly smelled amazing. The perfect combination of pineapple and vanilla. He closed his eyes, feeling every inch of her body pressed against his. How could he ever thing that being away from her would change them?

((((()()()))))

Far away from Azkaban, there was a cabin in the middle of a wood. The wood wasn't special; it was rather large and easy to get lost in, but there was nothing special about it. The cabin, however, was a mystery. The inhabitants of the nearby village couldn't remember when it appeared, but they all knew to stay away from it. Occasionally a few teenagers tried to break in, but none were successful.

This cabin – small, meaningless – held more secrets than the villagers could imagine, for in the basement – the tiny, dreary basement – there was a woman.


End file.
